Vanessa Anseloni:
“Spiritist
therapy brings
consolation to
everyone”
The Spiritist
public speaker
and founder of
the Spiritist
Society of
Baltimore shares
her thoughts on
the Spiritist
Movement in the
United States,
country where
the Hydesville
phenomena took
place
|
Vanessa Cristina
Zilli Anseloni (photo)
was born in the
city of São
Paulo and lives
in the city of
Chantilly, in
Virgina state,
on the outskirts
of the American
capital,
Washington. She
was born into a
Spiritist home,
part of the
fifth generation
of Spiritists in
the family. Her
great-great-grandfather,
Attilio Pioltini,
an Italian
immigrant,
founded one of
|
the first Spiritist groups
in São Paulo
state, 94 years
ago, the
Spiritist Centre
Luz e Caridade,
in Itobi.
|
From a very
early age,
Vanessa began
attending
lessons on
Spiritism. She
also benefitted
from the life
examples of her
grandparents,
parents and
uncles. Aged 14,
she began
teaching
Spiritism. She
has a degree in
Psychology in
São Paulo and a
PhD in
Neurosciences.
In 1998, she
moved to the
United States to
do a
post-Doctorate
degree at the
University of
Maryland, where
she began
working as a
neuroscientist.
Vanessa Anseloni
is the president
and founder of
the Spiritist
Society of
Baltimore (SSB)
–
www.ssbaltimore.org
– and of the
Spiritist
Society of
Virginia. She is
also the founder
of Kardec Radio
and chief-editor
of the Spiritist
Magazine,
published by the
Spiritist
Spiritist
Council every
three months.
She has also
translated books
by the mediums
Divaldo Franco
and Chico Xavier
into English and
is the co-author
of a book with
Divaldo Franco,
Nova Geração
(New
Generation).
How did you
begin your work
with Spiritism
in the United
States?
I began a prayer
and study group
at home in
October1998,
when I was still
single. I
received
indispensable
support from
Jorge Godinho
Nery and his
wife, Antonia
Helena. In March
1999, we started
to meet at a
study room in
the University
of Maryland.
What has been
the reaction to
Spiritism in the
US?
Spiritism is not
as yet widely
known in the US.
One of the main
reasons for that
is the fact that
many groups
still use
Portuguese or
Spanish in their
meetings. The
Spiritist
Society of
Baltimore began
with its
programme of
talks in English
at the end of
2001, and things
have begun
changing since.
There are now
many groups who
have adopted the
English language
in their regular
meetings. We
must bear in
mind that the
Americans who
come to
Spiritist
meetings are
usually very
different from
your average
American. They
are often former
Protestants –
not Catholics,
as it happens in
Brazil – who
have already had
contact with
exoteric, new
age, spiritual
practices and
finally come
across Spiritism.
Many become
interested in
Spiritism after
attending the
healing sessions
of the medium,
João de Deus
(John of God) in
Abadiânia, Goiás
state.
Please tell us a
bit more about
the Spiritist
Society of
Baltimore.
It began in my
flat, in Charles
Street, in
October 1998. My
initial aim was
to carry on with
my studies on
Spiritism and
the Gospel in
the Home, in the
company and with
the help of
Jorge Godinho
Nery and Antonia
Helena Nery. We
are going
through the
official
textbooks
prepared by the
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation, and
a few months
later began
meeting in a
room at the
University of
Maryland. In
2001, an
American friend,
psychotherapist
Daryl Joyce,
suggested we
began having our
meetings in
English. She
introduced us to
Zohar Meyerhoof,
a radio
broadcaster and
benefactor in
the city of
Baltimore, who
opened the door
of her holistic
clinic for our
first workshops.
We continued
with our work
there until
2006, when an
American lady,
Judith Campbell,
and her husband,
Kevin Campbell,
decided to help
us. They had
done our
Spiritual
treatment and
were so amazed
by the results
that decided to
create a home
for the SSB. For
two years they
paid all our
expenses. But in
2008 we decide
to invest on our
own facilities.
And that is
where we have
been since then.
The SSB has
worked with the
translation of
books and CDS by
Divaldo Franco,
Chico Xavier and
Raul Teixeira.
With the
coordination of
Daniel Santos,
we have also
have done
regular webcasts
for TVCEI. In
2008, we
launched the
first English
language study
programme on
Spiritism, the
Roadmap Program
for the
Spiritist Study
and Practice.
Our material has
been officially
adopted by the
International
Spiritist
Council. The
plan is to adopt
it in other
countries,
translated to
other languages.
The Roadmap is
now available
online, on
www.e-spiritism.org
. More than 800
people have
enrolled for the
online course
and the first
one to complete
it was a German
lady who lives
in Britain.
In 2007, thanks
to the
inspiration of
the Spiritual
Benefactors, we
decided to
organise the
first American
Spiritist
Congress using
English as the
only language.
The event took
place in
Baltimore. In
2008, it was
held in New York
and in 2009, in
Boston. In 2010,
the American
Spiritist
Council took
over the
organisation of
the event. The
SSB has also
helped set up
new local
groups, such as
the Spiritist
Society of
Virginia,
founded in 2007,
and study groups
in Delaware and
Pennsylvania.
How are the
meetings at the
SSB structured?
Do you have
talks,
lectures?
Our aim is to
follow the
guidelines of
the Codification
of Spiritism.
The main aim is
to comfort and
enlighten
incarnates. We
make sure the
themes chosen
for our studies
comprise the
three aspects of
Spiritism:
philosophy,
science and
religion. We
begin by reading
an extract of an
uplifting book,
such as Joanna
de Ângelis’s
Happy Life,
followed by an
opening prayer.
We then have a
45 to 60-minute
long talk,
followed by
spiritual
healing and the
healing water.
All our meetings
are in English.
Do the Americans
get engaged in
our meetings?
Some get
engaged, but
they are still
few and far
between if
compared to the
number of
Brazilians who
embrace the work
in Spiritism.
But that is only
to be expected,
taking into
account the fact
that Brazilians
have been
blessed with the
presence of
amazing
Spiritist
figures such as
Chico Xavier and
Divaldo Franco.
How do Americans
respond to the
Teachings?
When they
finally come
into contact
with Spiritism,
they become
amazed. They
usually find out
that Spiritism
is not that
different from
what they had
seen in other
spiritual
philosophies.
But they still
struggle to
fully grasp some
of our
practices, such
as the principle
of not charging
for healing or
mediumship
sessions. They
also find it
difficult to
understand the
group work in
mediumship and
spiritual
attachment
treatment
sessions. They
are used to the
individual work
of mediums, as
shown so often
on American TV.
We often make a
concerted effort
to take
Spiritism to new
frontiers. We
began a
programme in the
Spiritualist
city of Lily
Dale, in New
York state in
2005. We use the
programmes
broadcast by
Kardec Radio,
which has
listeners in
more than 60
countries, to
take Spiritism
to places where
it would take
longer to reach
if we were to
use more
conventional
methods.
Are there any
other Spiritist
Groups working
in tandem with
the SSB?
We make a point
of collaborating
with other
Spiritist
Groups,
supporting one
another. Our
groups are all
affiliated to
the American
Spiritist
Council.
Who are the
volunteer
workers behind
those
activities?
It is a mix of
Brazilians,
other Latin
Americans as
well as
Americans and
people of other
nationalities.
In the US, we
need to be able
to adapt in
order to embrace
in our groups
people of very
diverse
backgrounds. As
our meetings are
all in English,
we are able to
open our doors
to people of all
nationalities,
without
privileging any
particular
group, with the
exception of
those who are
hosting us in
their country.
That is what
André Luiz
stated in the
first chapter of
the book,
Entre Irmãos de
Outras Terras.
Do you have
Spiritist books
in the groups
you coordinate?
The Spiritist
book is a key
piece in our
activities. We
keep bookshops
inside our
Centres with the
specific aim of
facilitating the
access to
Spiritist
literatures. And
all books we
sell are in
English, in
order to
encourage the
dissemination of
the Teachings in
English and to
avoid other
problems. With
that, many
immigrants end
up improving
their English,
and studies have
shown that
migrants who
learn the local
language have
higher
self-esteem and
better mental
health.
Do you believe
Spiritism will
grow deep roots
in American
soil?
I would say that
the roots
already exist.
Allan Kardec
used to exchange
correspondence
with Spiritists
in the US. A
century later,
in 1965, the
Brazilian
medium, Chico
Xavier, visits
the US and
publishes
Entre Irmãos de
Outras Terras.
Spiritism has
been growing
steadily in the
US in the last
decade or so,
since the
beginning of the
work of the SSB
in 2001 and
thanks to the
recent efforts
of the Spiritist
Council of the
USA.
Do you get help
from Brazil?
Yes, from
friends who pray
for the success
of our mission
in the US, from
family members
in Brazil
engaged in
Spiritism. The
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation and
the
International
Spiritist
Council have
also supported
efforts to
disseminate
Spiritism in
American soil.
How do Americans
and immigrants
who live in the
US view the
traditional
Spiritist
therapy, of
magnetic healing
and healing
water?
They love it!
That is what
they really look
forward to.
Suffering
happens
everywhere,
regardless of
the nationality.
Suffering is a
universal
occurrence. That
is why the
Spiritist
therapy brings
consolation to
everyone.
What do you
believe are the
prospects for
Spiritism in the
US and the rest
of the world?
Spiritism is the
Promised
Consoler. Jesus,
our Governor,
Model and Guide,
certainly has
the most
beautiful plans
for the
dissemination of
this memorable
Teachings. We
have observed
the formation of
new groups and
new initiatives
all across the
US, in Canada,
in Britain and
other countries.
I was recently
at a Spiritist
Congress in
Colombia, in the
company of
Divaldo Franco.
What an amazing
experience! So
much fraternity
and solidarity!
Your final
thoughts,
please.
My friends,
brothers and
sisters in
Brazil and
elsewhere, what
a privilege it
is to have had
access to
Spiritism! So
much knowledge
and information
to transform our
lives! Let us
pray, brothers
and sisters, for
all of those who
are in our dear
planet. I make a
special pledge
for prayers on
behalf of the
American people
and their
leadership, so
that our planet
is finally able
to fulfil God’s
Will on Earth.
Emmanuel says in
A Caminho da
Luz (Pathway to
Enlightenment)
that Jesus’s
team expects the
US to be the
brains of the
New
Civilisation. As
a
neuroscientist,
who loves the
brain as the
nest of the
mind, I would
mention the
words of André
Luiz: let us
help the
planet’s brain
with the oxygen
of Spiritism.